1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to photoimageable compositions that comprise an organosilicon component and a sulfonamide component. In preferred aspects, photoresists are provided that comprise a Si-containing polymer that has sulfonamide substitution and are employed in multilayer resist systems.
2. Background
Photoresists are photosensitive films used for transfer of images to a substrate. A coating layer of a photoresist is formed on a substrate and the photoresist layer is then exposed through a photomask to a source of activating radiation. The photomask has areas that are opaque to activating radiation and other areas that are transparent to activating radiation. Exposure to activating radiation provides a photoinduced chemical transformation of the photoresist coating to thereby transfer the pattern of the photomask to the photoresist-coated substrate. Following exposure, the photoresist is developed to provide a relief image that permits selective processing of a substrate.
A photoresist can be either positive-acting or negative-acting. For most negative-acting photoresists, those coating layer portions that are exposed to activating radiation polymerize or crosslink in a reaction between a photoactive compound and polymerizable agents of the photoresist composition. Consequently, the exposed coating portions are rendered less soluble in a developer solution than unexposed portions. For positive-acting photoresists, exposed portions are rendered more soluble in a developer solution while areas not exposed remain comparatively less developer soluble. In general, photoresist compositions include at least a resin binder component and a photoactive agent.
The increasing density of integrated circuits has created a need for higher resolution patterning capabilities. One method of improving resolution involves using a shorter wavelength light during pattern formation. Shorter wavelengths of approximately 200 to 280 nm may be obtained by using a deep UV (“DUV”) source such as a mercury/xenon (“Hg/Xe”) lamp with appropriate filters. Additionally, KrF (248 nm) or ArF (193 nm) excimer lasers may be used as exposure sources.
In addition to using shorter wavelengths during exposure, it is also desirable to use a thinner layer of resist. However, the major drawback of using a thin layer of resist is that the variation of resist thickness over a diffusion step on a substrate and into an etched pattern increases as the pattern size becomes smaller. This variation means that the dimensions of any pattern being imaged in the resist will vary as the step geometry is traversed. Therefore, in a single layer resist system, the lack of dimensional control on the wafer can create different line widths throughout the resist which reduces the quality of the electronic package.
To attempt to improve dimensional control, bilayer (or bilevel or multilevel) resist systems have been utilized. In a typical bilevel system, a bottom resist is first applied to a substrate to planarize wafer topography. The bottom resist is cured and a second thinner imaging top resist is then applied over the bottom resist. The top resist is then soft baked, and patterned (or imaged) using conventional resist exposure and development, followed by etch transfer of the top pattern through the bottom resist using the top resist pattern as an etch mask. Positive resists are commonly used in bilayer applications and are typically based on novolac resins, which are condensation polymers of phenols or substituted phenols and formaldehyde. See, generally, Sugiyama et al., Positive Excimer Laser Resists Prepared with Aliphatic Diazoketones, Soc. Plastics Eng., Conference Proceedings, pages 51–60 (November 1988); and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,745,169; 5,338,818; 5,619,396; 5,731,126; 6,296,985; and 6,340,734.
While such multilayer photoresists have been useful in many applications, current silicon-based resists also have exhibited some notable shortcomings, particularly in higher performance applications, e.g. where highly resolved small features (e.g. sub-quarter micron lines) are required, typically using short wavelength exposures such as 248 m or 193 nm.
Synthesis of certain norbornene groups having sulfonamide substitution have been reported in WO 00/46267 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,503. Specific use of the resulting norbornene materials is not disclosed in WO 00/46267 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,503. See also Angelo et al. in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 11, no. 7 December 1968); European Patent Application EP 0731388A2; Neenan et al., Microelectronic Technology, ACS Symposium Series 614 (Apr. 2–6 1995) 194–206.
It thus would be desirable to have new materials for use in photoresist compositions. It also would be desirable to have improved photoresists for use in high performance applications such as to form small, highly resolved features. It would be particularly desirable to have new multilayer photoresist systems.